Slide closure for containers



Feb. 24, 1942. H. w. RUEGER 2,273,998

SLIDE CLOSURE FOR COfiTAINERS Filed May 10, 1940 3 mm awn/v Mil/6.54;

Patented Feb. 24, 1942 2,273,998 suns CLOSURE ron CONTAINERS I ler-man W. ltueger, Lancaster, Pa., asaignor to liberty Can and Sign Company, a corporation oi Pennsylvania Application May 10, 1940, Serial No. 334,436 Claims. (Cl. 221-62) This invention relates to slide closures for cans or other receptacles.

The primary objects of the present invention are to provide an extremely tight sift-proof closure particularly adapted for use with spice or powdercans or receptacles containing finely powdered substances, comprising a receptacle top formed with a sloping dispensing panel in which is disposed the dispensing. aperture or apertures, and a slide coverdisposed for linear sliding movement on said top and formed with a sloping closure panel to slide into tight wedging registering engagement with the dispensing panel of said top; to provide in such a closure construction a novel arrangement of stops adapted to arrest the opening movement of the sliding closure at an intermediate point between entirely open and closed positions, but allowing the stops to yieldingly ride over each other during,

movement of said closure to entirely open or closed position without eventually weakening or destroying the tight sift-proof engagement between the respective contacting panels of the receptacle top and slide cover or closure; to form one of said sliding panels of resilient material and of arched or curved cross-section towards the other of said panels to in operation increase the tight frictionalflt between said panels; and to provide such a closure which is adapted for economical manufacture on a mass production basis by metal stamping or other operations commonly employed in the can or container manufacturing art.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2, a vertical section of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3, a top plan view of the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 4, a view similar to Figure 2, but with the slide cover in open position;

Figure 5, a cross-section on the line 5--'-5 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and,

Figure 6, a vertical section of a modified form of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawing, the letter A designates any usual known type of preferably metallic receptacle or container body provided with a bottom B which may be secured thereto by seaming the two together, as shown, in accordance with usual well known practices in the can manufacturing art.

My invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawing as applied to such a container body, comprises as essential elements a stationary container top i secured to said container body A and provided with a raised longitudinally sloping dispensing panel 3, in combination with a slide cover 2 longitudinally slidably secured to the top I and formed with a depressed sloping closure panel 4 adapted to slide into and out of registering tight wedging engagement with the dispensing panel 3 during sliding movement of the cover 2 into and out of registry with the container p I.

First considering in detail the top I, it may be seen that said top is divided by a transversely extending preferably medially disposed integral rib or abutment 5 into the upper and lower levels or panels 3 and 1 respectively, the upper or dispensing panel 3 sloping gently longitudinally upward from said abutment 5 towards the end of the top I in a direction away from said lower level I, and preferably being provided with the usual punch out plug or portion 9 which may be removed or bent downwardly to form a dispensing of discharge aperture as indicated by score lines I.

vThe preferred means of securing the top i to the can body A consists of an upstanding outwardly and downwardly curled marginal beading or seam having parallel side portions i3 and end portions I5 respectively curled about the corresponding portions of the upper end of the can body A in the usual manner.

When such securing means or method is utilized the sliding cover or slide 2 hereinbefore mentioned may be mounted for longitudinal or linear slidingmovement on the top I by means of a pair of longitudinally extending side flanges 6 curled around and under the side portions ii of the can top beading, the main body or portion of the slide cover 2 being preferably flat and having its under surface slidably resting on the upper peripheral edge of the beading I3, I I, in the same manner as illustrated in my Patent 2,184,227.

Formed in and carried by the slide cover 2 is the depressed sloping dispensing panel I preferably of the same shape and of at least the same size as the dispensing panel 3, the panel 4 preferably being connected to slide 2 by means of a rectangular substantially vertically disposed marginal wall 8.

when thus formed the entire slide cover 2 may be economically manufactured from a single piece of thin sheet metal on 9. mass production basis, the thickness of the metal being greatly exaggerated in the present drawing for the purpose of clearly illustrating the invention,

The lower surface or face of closure panel 4 slopes longitudinally in a plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal slope of the dispensing panel 3 of the container top, and in the assembled condition of the container top I and slide cover 2 it may be seen that the two panels 3 and 4 both slope longitudinally at a preferably'very slight angle relative to the direction of longitudinal sliding movement of the cover 2, and are disposed at such levels relative to each other that sliding movement of the cover 2 towards closed position causes the adjacent panel surfaces to contact each other before the cover 2 reaches completely closed position, and thereafter during the remaining portion of the closing operation the closure panel 4 rides up on, and is constantly wedged tighter against the dispensing panel 3 as the closing movement is continued, thereby tightly covering the dispensing aperture ll formed by removal of the punch-out portion or plug 9 of the can top I and efficiently preventing finely powdered materials such as cinnamon or talcum etc.. from seeping out between the two panels 3 and 4.

Where, as contemplated, the slide cover 2 is made of sheet metal or other slightly inherently resilient material, it may be seen that in sliding the cover 2 toward closed position the guide flanges 6 of the cover may give or yield very slightly to permit the closure panel 4 to wedge or ride up on the lower or dispensing panel 3, while of course maintaining increasingly tight contact between the engaging surface portions of said panels 3 and 4.

If desired, in order to further insure a tight sift-proof engagement between panels 3 and 4. one of said panels 3 may be resiliently slightly transversely bowed or arched to present a very slightly transversely convex surface to be engaged by the other of said panels 4 and to resiliently press thereagainst, as clearly indicated in Figure of the drawing wherein the transversely convex surface is shown as applied to the lower or dispensing panel 3 and is exaggerated for purposes of clear illustration.

In carrying my invention into practice it will often be desirable, where my invention is to be applied to receptacles containing powdered or granulated substances, to provide a series of shaker openings III in the closure panel 4 to be moved into and out of registry with the dispense ing aperture ll formed by removal of plug 9 of the dispensing panel 3. Where such sitter or shaker openings III are to be employed, I prefer to locate the same adjacent the end of the closure panel 4, as shown, so that in order to move said openings I3 into registry with the dispensing opening ii in panel I it is only necessary to move the cover 2 a very short distance toward open position thus still maintaining, though to a lesser degree, the tight wedging engagement between the two panels 3 and 4 and preventing the container contents from escaping around the end of the cover 2 at the edge of aperture ll.

Also where such sifter openings ID are employed it is usual and desirable, though not absolutely essential, to provide suitable stop or positioning means, generally consisting of co0perat-' ing indentations or stops in the can top and slide cover adapted to engage each other to properly position said top I and cover 4 so that the apertures or openings l0 and II of th respective closure members may be easily positioned and maintained in registry with each other.

To this end I prefer to employ a novel arrangement of stop means comprising a downwardly pressed rib or stop l2 at the extreme rear edge of the closure panel 4 which is adapted to, during movement of the slide 2 towards open position,

abut against an upwardly projecting stop or nipple i I formed in the lower panel or portion 1 of the container top to properly position the apertures or holes In and II of the respective panels 4 and 3 in registering relation. However where it is desired to continue to move the cover 2 to completely open position to completely uncover the opening II, as in Figure 4, continued opening pressure exerted on the slide cover 2 will cause the rib l2 to slightly depress and ride over the stop il so as to permit continued sliding or opening movement of the cover 2.

It is to be particularly noted that the stop rib i2, as hereinbefore mentioned, is disposed at the extreme rear end of the panel 4. and is preferably so disposed that the substantially vertical end wall or end portion of marginal wall 8, connecting the panel 4 to slide cover 2, constitutes one of the side walls of said rib or stop II, the rib l2 thus being disposed so closely adjacent the wall 8 that said wall serves to reinforc the rib l2 as well as the adjacent portion of the panel 2 against vertical movement. And it is further to be noted that the vertically rigidly disposed rib l2 in riding over the stop ll of top I will serve to press on and resiliently force down the stop I! and-probably the immediately surrounding area of the container top I, but cannot affect the dispensing panel 3 so as to by continued pressing or flexing action lessen the resilient wedging action or engagement between panels 3 and 4, due to the action of the transverse abutment or rib 5 of the container top I serving to separate the upper and lower panels 3 and I of the top I and to rigidly transversely brace and stiffen the panel 3.

In order to maintain the cover 2 in completely closed position, said cover may he formed with the usual downwardly disposed stop or indentation l4 adjacent its rear end to in operation ride up over and resiliently snap down on the inside of beading l5 as the cover 2 is moved to closed position.

In the slightly modified embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 6, the construction and operation are substantially the same as hereinbefore described except that no shaker openings are provided in the cover 2 and consequently there is no necessity of providing stops such as the stops l2 and I! of the preferred embodiment.

Also, instead of transversely curving the dispensing panel 3, as in the preferred embodiment, said panel 3 is provided with a resiliently upwardly turned marginal edge or lip I9 surrounding the dispensing aperture, the edges of said lip i9 being disposed in the same plane and sloping upwardly toward the adjacent forward end of the top I to resiliently engage and press upwardly against the correspondingly sloping lower surface of the closure panel 4 adapted to cooperate therewith in the manner hereinbefore described.

I claim:

1. A slide closure for containers comprising a rectangular container top, and an integral upstanding outwardly and downwardly curled marginal beading extending around said top, said top comprising longitudinally aligned upper and lower panels formed therein respectively at different elevations relative to and below the plane of said beading, and a medially disposed transversely'extending rib separating said panels, said upper panel sloping in a plane longitudinally upwardly from said rib and having a dispensing aperture formed therein, and said lower panel being disposed in a plane parallel to the plane of said beading and having an upwardly projecting stop formed therein, in combination with a slide cover disposed for longitudinal sliding movement on said beading, a downwardly depressed closure panel formed in and integrally connected to the remainder of said cover by means of a substantially vertical marginal wall, said closure panel sloping parallel to the direction of slope of said upper panel to make a tight wedging fit thereagainst when moved into registry therewith, said closure panel being formed with shaker openings and having .a downwardly depressed stop rib formed at its lower end juncture with said mar. ginal wall to engage the stop or said lower panel at a point wherein the shaker openings of said, closure panel are in registry with the dispensing aperture of said upper panel.

2. A slide closure for containers comprising a substantially rectangular container top, and an integral upstanding marginal beading extending around said top, said top comprising an apertured upper panel and a relatively longitudinally aligned lower panel formed therein respectively at diiferent levels relative to and below the plane of said heading, and a medially disposed transverse rib separating said panels, said upper panel beingtransversely upwardly arched and sloping in a plane longitudinally upwardly from said rib at a slight angle to the plane ofsaid marginal beading, in combination with a slide cover comprising a main portion disposed for longitudinal sliding movement on said marginal beading, and a depressed longitudinally sloping closure panel carried by said main portion for sliding movement into and out or registry with the upper panel of said container top to cover and uncover the dispensing aperture thereof, said closure panel sloping in a plane parallel to the plane of slope of said upper panel to make a tight wedging fit thereagainst as the slide cover is moved towards closed position.

3.A slide closure for containers comprising a substantially rectangular container top, and an integral upstanding marginal beading extending around said top, said top comprising an apertured upper panel and a relatively longitudinally aligned lower panel formed therein respectively 55 mg fit f at different levels relative to and below the plane of said beading and separated by a medially disposed transverse rib, the portion of said upper panel surrounding said aperture being resiliently upwardly bent and sloping in a plane longitudinally upwardly from said rib at a slight angle to the plane or said marginal heading, in combination with a slide cover comprising a main portion disposed for sliding movement into and out of registry with the upper panel of said container top to cover and uncover the dispensing aperture thereof, said closure panel sloping in a plane parallel to the plane of slope of said upper panel portion to make a tight wedging fit thereagainst as the slide cover is moved towards closed position.

4. A slide closure for containers comprising a substantially rectangular container top, and an integral upstanding marginal beading extending around said top, said top comprising an apertured upper panel and a relatively longitudinally aligned-lower panel'formed therein respectively at different levels relative to and below the plane of said beading and separated by a medially disposed transverse rib, the portion of said upper panel surrounding said aperture sloping in a plane longitudinally upwardly from said rib at a slight angle to the plane of said marginal beading, in combination with a slide cover comprising a main portion disposed for sliding movement into and out of registry with the upper panel of said container top to cover and uncover the dispensing aperture thereof, said closure panel sloping in a plane parallel to the plane of slope of said upper panel portion to make a tight wedging fit thereagainst as the slide cover is moved towards closed position.

5. A slide closure for containers comprising a substantially rectangular container top having upper and lower panels formed therein respectively at diiferent elevations relative to the marginal plane of said.top said panels being separated by a medially disposed transversely extending rib formed in said top, and said upper panel sloping in a plane longitudinally upwardly from said rib and being provided with a dispensing aperture, in combination with a slide. cover disposed for longitudinal sliding movement on said container top at a slight longitudinal angle to the plane or said upper panel, and a closure panel carried by said cover and disposed in a plane parallel to the plane of said upper panel so that when moved in a longitudinal direction into registry therewith it will make a tight weds- HERMAN W. RUEGER. 

